The fourth and final part of our software development methodologies series has come, and it is quite possibly the most important part! Determining which development approach is best for your project is pretty critical – each development process is a melting pot of unique team members, clients, and project goals. Deciding which factors are most important for your project can get complicated. We’ve created a checklist to help you through that decision making process. Waterfall or Agile?
Customer Availability
One of the biggest differences between Waterfall and Agile is the amount of interaction that the client has throughout the process:
WATERFALL – The customer wants to be hands-off, only seeing the beginning and end product.
AGILE – The client wants high interaction with the power to make changes and have a voice in the development process.
Solution Clarity
Though the outcome expected from the user may be obvious, how to get there may not be as clear.
WATERFALL – With a clear solution, a strict step-by-step process like Waterfall may be the best route to take.
AGILE – It’s unclear how to reach the end product and may require some trial and error.
Project Team Coordination
Consider the status and location of the project team.
WATERFALL – Team members work remotely, and there are specific groups for certain areas of the project.
AGILE – If the team is a smaller, more concentrated group in one location, Agile is the best option.
Flexibility vs. Stability
Another important factor in determining which method is best is whether flexibility or stability is more crucial to your software development process.
WATERFALL – Being more stable throughout the timeline of the project is a characteristic of the Waterfall approach with strict deadlines and steps.
AGILE – More flexibility will make the Agile model more appealing to your project and is better suited for this factor.
Time Prioritization
When choosing an approach to development, time is paramount to the decision-making process.
WATERFALL – The Waterfall methodology will best fit your timing needs if the deadline is already set.
AGILE – If time takes a second priority to the quality of the product, then the Agile approach works best.
Which approach did you use?
Every project is unique and requires a game plan. Before beginning your next project, talk to your team about which approach would be best to use. We’ve used these methods in some form or fashion, maybe even a combination of the two, for past projects. Regardless of our approach, Sevaa Group strives to build a strong relationship with our clients in order to help them reach a solution. Talk to us about working on your next project.
